Martial Saint with Passives

Chapter 151: Chapter 104: Delivering a Message

So they must have requested reinforcements from Lin Yuan City.

But since no reinforcements came, it meant the request had been rejected by Lin Yuan City.

Jiang Che knew the upper echelons of Lin Yuan City had always been corrupt, but he never thought it would be this bad!

This news quickly spread throughout the mountain stronghold. The Horse Bandits threw a huge feast, celebrating for three full days.

However, a month later, news suddenly arrived that the fortress had been retaken!

Apparently, the Piracy Eradication Alliance and the Seven Stars Gang had supported the Government Office.

They joined forces with the government troops to launch a large-scale counter-attack on the fortress.

It was even said that Li Hanchuan himself led the charge and severely wounded Master Qi!

This news was like a bucket of cold water thrown over the Horse Bandits in the stronghold.

Jiang Che also put on a timely display of anger and grief.

But inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief.

’Thank goodness for the Seven Stars Gang, or Lin Yuan City might have actually fallen!’

The news of the western fortress being recaptured sent morale throughout Lin Yuan City soaring once again.

Many people took to the streets again to celebrate.

「Inner City.」

Jinyu Workshop was once again bustling with customers.

As the largest gambling den in the Inner City, it was a place where people became rich overnight every day.

Of course, it was also where people lost everything.

A man with thick eyebrows and large eyes stumbled out, looking utterly dejected.

It was none other than the Hunter Jiang Che had saved before, Hu Biao.

He had always been a gambler. In the past, whenever he got his silver after a hunt, he would come to Jinyu Workshop to try his luck.

Recently, because the Horse Bandits had been attacking the city, the Hunting Team couldn’t go into the mountains, so he hadn’t gambled in a long time.

When the news of the counter-attack arrived, he figured the Horse Bandits would probably be wiped out soon, and the Hunting Team would be able to go into the mountains again.

So, he took his last bit of money and went to Jinyu Workshop.

But as if cursed, his luck was terrible this time, and he lost all his money in no time.

Just as he was about to leave, the owner of the gambling den suddenly approached him. The owner said he could lend Hu Biao some money, interest-free, out of respect for his brother-in-law.

Hu Biao, desperate from his losses and thinking he could just go on a few more hunts to repay it once the mountains were safe, borrowed the money.

As it turned out, he just kept losing again and again.

But the more he lost, the more he wanted to win it all back.

Before he knew it, he had racked up a debt of fifty thousand silver!

"Fifty thousand silver... I couldn’t repay that even if I went hunting ten times..."

Hu Biao suddenly felt like he had walked into a trap!

Back in Jinyu Workshop, his head had been fuzzy and muddled, and he hadn’t even known what he was doing.

But Jinyu Workshop was backed by the Zhao Family.

As the number one Noble Family in Lin Yuan City and the founders of the Piracy Eradication Alliance, it was no exaggeration to call them the local Emperors of the city.

Not only did they have numerous businesses, but they also had countless experts under their command.

There were even rumors that the Zhao Family’s eldest Young Master had faintly reached a level beyond Force Integration!

’Even though I’m in the Stone Skin Realm, I wouldn’t stand a chance against the Zhao Family even if I were in the Iron Skin Realm!’

If he couldn’t repay this money, not only would he be in trouble, but even his brother-in-law would likely be dragged into it!

Hu Biao thought it over and over, then went to find the friends he used to eat, drink, and make merry with.

But when these friends heard he wanted to borrow money, every single one of them claimed to be short on cash. He didn’t manage to borrow a single coin.

After returning home, Hu Biao reluctantly went to his sister.

He didn’t dare say he owed fifty thousand silver, only that he’d accidentally lost a bit too much and was in some debt.

Though frustrated, his sister had a soft heart and gave him five thousand silver.

"Is there any more?" Hu Biao’s throat twitched.

"Five thousand silver isn’t enough? Just how much do you owe?!" his sister exclaimed in shock.

Her eyes and brows were somewhat similar to Hu Biao’s, but much softer and more delicate.

"Just... um... ten thousand silver," Hu Biao said in a small voice.

In the end, he was still her own brother. His sister couldn’t bring herself to be harsh, so she reluctantly took out some jewelry and said:

"Take these and pawn them. Pay off your gambling debt quickly. We can’t afford to provoke Jinyu Workshop! And listen, you absolutely cannot tell your brother-in-law about this!"

"Okay..."

Hu Biao took the jewelry, knowing his sister couldn’t give him any more money, and left.

"Still short forty thousand silver..."

Hu Biao’s mind was in turmoil. There was no way in hell he could come up with the remaining forty thousand silver!

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind—he remembered the bounty the Horse Bandits had previously posted.

"One hundred thousand silver... If I could get that hundred thousand, not only could I pay off my debt, but I’d be set for life!" Hu Biao muttered.

Suddenly, he remembered what his brother-in-law had said: asking the Horse Bandits for money was like bargaining with a tiger for its skin—utterly impossible.

His heart wavered, and he began to have second thoughts.

But looking at the five thousand silver and the jewelry in his hand, he had no idea how to come up with the remaining forty thousand.

"Forget it, I’ll take one last gamble! If this bet pays off, I’ll pay back the money and never gamble again! I’ll live a quiet, peaceful life! Yes, this must be heaven giving me one last chance!"

His gaze hardened as he made up his mind.